


Attachments

by Sundropqueen



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Other, animal death (mentioned)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:15:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23725924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sundropqueen/pseuds/Sundropqueen
Summary: A character study of sorts for Adira.
Kudos: 23





	Attachments

It started with Astraea, a pretty brown mare that Adira was given the day she was sworn into the brotherhood. 

Astraea was strong, and brave, and so much like Adira it was impossible not to grow attached to her. And she might as well grow fond of it, if this was to be her horse. Quirin already had his, and Hector had finally convinced the king to let him get a rhino; Adira was proud to have Astraea.

Then, for the first time in her life, Adira made a fatal mistake. 

She let someone slip past her while she was on duty. Some stupid thief who had no place even being in her kingdom, who got too close to the moonstone. 

There was a spark, a surge of energy. A new set of rocks tore through the castle and the stables surrounding it.

Adira refused to get another horse after that. She could walk wherever she needed to go just fine. Quirin insisted she tag along on his horse for the long trips, but Adira refused.

She wasn’t going to get attached again.

Then there was the Queen. She was pregnant. The King insisted Adira spend extra time guarding her and protecting her at this time. That wasn’t a problem in and of itself but...Queen Dione liked to ramble. A lot.

“I wonder what he’ll be like! Definitely brave, like his father. Maybe funny or- or shy…” The Queen sighed, rubbing a gentle hand on her belly. She smiled kindly at Adira, and Adira returned it politely. Despite the many years Adira had spent here, she and the Queen had never talked much. And whenever they did it was just small talk; simple conversations. 

“I’m sure he’ll be wonderful, your majesty.”

Queen Dione nodded. “I know he will be, I just… I worry about him sometimes… Growing up in this place….” Adira’s eyes trailed out the window at the barren, rocky land. The moonstone was unpredictable, and the black rocks even more so. Adira couldn’t imagine raising a child here. (She couldn’t imagine raising a child at all, really) 

Children were as unpredictable as the rocks; running around and climbing on things… 

The Queen sighed. “It’ll be a challenge for sure.” She reached for Adira’s hand. “Thank you for being here for me, Adira. It’s nice to have another woman to talk to.”

“Anytime your majesty.”

“Please, Call me Dione.”

“Of course. Thank you, Dione.” Dione smiled and Adira smiled back. When The King found them later they were both laughing, and talking, about nothing, and everything. Adira felt like she had an actual friend outside of the brotherhood for the first time in her life.

And one month later she was dead. 

Her son, Horace (Edmund named him) was so… small. 

Babies are supposed to be small, and for his age Horace was about average weight, but in the crook of Adira’s arm… He barely weighed a thing. 

The sight of something so small and fragile could make anyone feel a sense of protectiveness, and unfortunately Adira was no exception. 

The first week after he was born, King Edmund barely left his side (which was a good thing-the less time she spent with him the less of the queen she saw in him, and the harder it was to get attached.) but with the newest surge of rocks Edmund became more distant. He barely spoke to anyone, barely ate anything... (She, Hector, and Quirin had to practically beg him to at least drink something.) all he did was think. 

The kingdom was falling apart and they all knew it. Their home, the place where everyone they’d ever known had grown up, Generations upon generations… and it was ending with them.

Then their king kicked them out. Everyone must go. 

Before they left, he pulled her and the other members of the brotherhood aside, asking one last thing of them. One last request.

“Don’t let anyone come near the moonstone.” 

And one more thing.

“I know… It would be too much of me to ask any of you to take care of my son but, please, will you see that he gets to the orphanage safely?”

Hector hated the idea, he said it was a distraction and chose to stay back.

Quirin seemed to be fighting with himself the whole trip. Ultimately, when the nurse gave the baby up, Quirin turned away. 

Adira felt nothing. 

The walls were built around her and she refused to let anyone tear them down again.

"You're leaving?!" Quirin didn't meet her gaze, face pulled into a grimace.

"I can't keep doing this, Adira." 

"Doing what? The thing you swore to do for the rest of your life?" Quirin sighed. "I can't do this without you, Quirin. Hector won't listen to me anymore but I know what we have to do- we could destroy the moonstone, we just need to-"

"What, Adira?! What do we need to do?" Adira stood up, anger flashed across her face.

"I've been reading. I found these scrolls- I couldn't read them all but from what I gathered, there is a counter force to the moonstone. If we find it then we might be able to-"

Quirin laughed, low and hollow. "Save the kingdom? Destroy the rocks?" He shook his head. "The kingdom is gone, Adira. The sooner you accept that the sooner we can get on with our lives." The words were harsh but his tone was sorrowful. Regretful. Adira knew he was trying to help, but she didn’t want it. 

"This is our life! But if you really want to throw away everything we've worked for then go right ahead." She didn't care. She'd find the sundrop on her own. Quirin's face softened.

"Come with me."

"What?"

"We'll find Hector- start over, just the three of us. We could move to a small village… We have a second chance, Adira, away from the Dark Kingdom." 

The betrayal stung, worse than Hector's had. When he reached for her hand, she placed hers calmly behind her back. 

“I hope you find what you're looking for, Quirin. I really do.” 

Any emotion she’d shown vanished in an instant. She had a job to do. And this time, she wasn’t going to allow herself to get attached.

**Author's Note:**

> I did some minor edits, so thanks again constellationexpress :)


End file.
